SETAPAK - Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim apologized to Wangsa Maju voters for having selected Wee Choo Keong to contest the parliamentary seat in the 2008 election, asking the constituents there to throw their support behind Tan Kee Kwong, the son of well-known politician Tan Chee Khoon, in the next ballot which is widely expected to be called within the next few weeks.
"I have to apologize for picking a Member of Parliament who jumped to the other side. This is why even though Selangor is governed by the Pakatan Rakyat, the facilities here are so poor because these are still under the control of the federal government," Anwar told the crowd of about 1,000 people who had come to Kee Kwong's Chinese New Year open house at a vacant field in Jalan Genting Klang.
"This time, put your trust in Tan Kee Kwong, the son of Tan Chee Khoon, a very good man who helped a lot of people."
Nian nian hau, BN pu hau
His announcement drew cheers from the crowd who had gathered since 2pm to hear him speak. When the 64-year-old Anwar arrived with PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in their famous Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat bus, the multiracial crowd of mostly lower to middle-income workers broke into spontaneous applause.
Anwar, who is also the de-facto head of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, is widely touted to be the next prime minister of Malaysia. Pakatan is rated as having a better than an even chance of taking the federal government now in the control of Prime Minister Najib Razak's Umno-BN coalition.
On Saturday afternoon, Anwar did not disappoint his fans. Immediately, he was able to connect with the audience and work his oratorical magic drawing laughter with jokes and cheers for his promises of reform if the PR managed to perform to expectation.
"Sin nian hau, nian nian hau but for nian nian hau, kita mesti kalahkan BN sebab BN pu hau (May the new year be a good year and every year be good but for every year to be good, we must topple the BN because the BN is not good," Anwar said in Mandarin to the delight of Chinese in the audience.
"Why? Because prices of goods are too high, timber (wealth) is gambled away, AES (traffic summones have to be paid), semua sapu (all national assets are being robbed by unscrupulous leaders, even the cows are not spared (referring to the RM250mil NFC livestock scandal)."
Does Najib dare to stand up to Mahathir: No, said the crowd
It was clear that bread and butter issues were issues close to the heart of the majority of the audience there, who clapped each time Anwar reiterated the Pakatan's promise to cut fuel prices within 24 hours if the coalition came to power and other financial reforms including the abolition of the unpopular PTPN student loans.
"I am also Malay, I am obliged to protect the rights of the Malays and to make sure they rise in life. But let the Chinese and the Indians rise also," Anwar said to thunderous applause, as he castigated Najib and Umno for their brand of race-based politics that has been blamed for making the minority races lose share in the national economic and education pie.
Surprisingly, the people were also very interested to hear Anwar talk about the current political situation in the country and the high-level endemic corruption in the government.
They listened with bated breath as Anwar spoke about Najib and his weakening hold on his Umno party, the still strong influence wielded by former permier Mahathir Mohamad and how crony-tycoon Syed Mokhtar Albukhary was given a chunk of almost every asset in the country, reportedly for safekeeping for certain Umno leaders.
I don't want to disturb Mahathir but no more Petronas contracts for his sons
Anwar slammed Najib for not daring to stand up to Mahathir on various issues, including the recent uproar sparked by a call from extremist group Perkasa (whose patron is Mahathir) to burn the Christian Bible amid a debate over the right of non-Muslims to use the word Allah to describe God.
"Everything, oil, ports, trains, timber, port, power, is given to Syed Mokhtar. When I ask Najib why, before I can finish he quickly runs off," said Anwar.
"If it is oil, who gets everything? Mahathir's sons. This is why Mahathir is afraid BN will lose (in the coming general election). I can tell Mahathir I don't want to disturb him. He can keep quiet and collect his pension. But Petronas (the national oil company) must no longer be allowed to award any more contracts to his sons. This must stop."
The burst of applause that greeted this statement is reflective of how widespread public concern is over the rampant greed of the ruling elite in the country and why Mahathir - once so powerful - is now virtually the most unpopular man in the country, blamed for its social ills and huge national debt.
Many of the middle income Malaysians, the well-to-do and well-educated have already called for him to be punished and a type of Corruption Reconciliation Council to be set up to trace and recover the loot purportedly siphoned out of the country by the Umno elite.
Najib would also do well to take note that when Anwar asked if the crowd thought the PM was brave enough to stop Mahathir, they distinctly said 'No'.
Like his dad, Mr Opposition
Kee Kwong later told reporters that he would accept Anwar's "suggestion" that he take on the Wangsa Maju seat.
"This is considered a hot seat. PKR won it on a very small margin and then Wee Choo Keong jumped ship. It is not easy to win Wangsa Maju but after going to the ground and getting to know the people here, I am optimistic and I accept Datuk Seri Anwar's suggestion with great humility," Kee Kwong said.
His father, Chee Khoon who died in 1996, was a major figure in Malaysian politics from 1959 to 1978, at one point being nicknamed 'Mr Opposition' for the outspoken views he presented in Parliament. Chee Khoon was the official Leader of the Opposition in Parliament from 1964 to 1978, when he retired. Chee Khoon also co-founded Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan), and also Pekemas after he became disillusioned with Gerakan.
Kee Kwong was also a senior Gerakan leader and a Deputy Minister in the BN government before he quit to join Anwar's PKR in 2008. Despite his dad's illustrious background, Kee Kwong has made a name for himself and was instrumental in exposing the financial mess in the FELDA land settlement scheme.
When asked what made him confident of being able to win the Wangsa Maju seat and whether he would defect back to the BN like Wee had done, this was Kee Kwong's answer:
"If I had wanted to make money the corrupt way, I would have done it when I was a Deputy Minister. But I didn't because I had to face my wife, you all, my God and my late father. If Wee Choo Keong still thinks he has a chance here, I would ask him to look at his own terrible track record and think again."
Malaysia Chronicle
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